MAHARASHTRA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MONTHLY ECONOMIC DIGEST VOL. XLVI NO.: 09 July 2017 350 Pages `300 ISSN 2456 - 2457 Special Publication on WATER NERIL is a leading name in the eld of environmental consultancy, water resource development, land use planning, and the management of habitats since 1996. e company was established in the year 1995 and is accredited by the Quality Council of India (QCI-NABET) on behalf of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India, to carry out EIA Studies for obtaining environmental clearance from competent authorities for development projects. NERIL’s objective is to provide project related specic services to government, semi-government and private organisations as well as conduct research in the eld of environment. We have a competent and well- experienced team of experts and the In tune with nature’s beat necessary equipments and infrastructure to conduct studies in the eld of environment. NERIL is committed to provide scientic and sustainable solutions for ensuring unhindered conservation and improved ecology in tune with the developmental prerogatives. Our highly qualied team can provide holistic design, applied research, timely execution and professional support in the best possible manner A DIVERSE RANGE OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES SOFTWARE CAPABILITY Preparation and management of watershed management plans (WMP). NERIL has the in-house ability to design Preparation of catchment area treatment plans (CAT Plans) for large and web based application soware for GIS medium scale hydro-power and infrastructure projects. applications for wide ranging needs in Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of infrastructure projects, and the cartography, forestry and other user specic preparation of environmental management and monitoring plans (EMP). applications. We work with ArcGIS, ERDAS, Consultation and preparation of cases for Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) Auto Cad, HEC-RAS, and such other clearances. specialised soware. Conducting in depth studies and preparation of detailed project reports (DPR) for We have expertise in the use of Remote - River rejuvenation and river front development Sensing, GIS and Resource Mapping with - Lake restoration and beautication specic reference to Environmental Impact - Solid Waste Management Assessment (EIA), land use land cover - Eco Tourism planning and state of environment reports Advisory services on ecological conservation (ESR). Preparation of proposals for diversion of forestland for non-forest use Preparation of eco-friendly development plans Pune Office: Shimla Office: 41 Ex servicemen Colony, Paud 7/2, Ankit Sadan, Mehli Junga Road, Pune 411 038, road, Shimla - 171 009, www.neril.co.in Maharashtra, INDIA. Himachal Pradesh, INDIA. [email protected] Tel. +91 (20) 6523 9021 Tel. +91 (177) 267 0151 2 July 2017 Maharashtra Economic Development Council, Monthly Economic Digest Message from Honourable Minister of Water Resources Maharashtra Economic Development Council, Monthly Economic Digest July 2017 3 MEDC Governing Board Straight From the Heart… MEDC President : Cdr. Dipak Naik - President & CEO have always had a very close Naik Environment Research Institute I connection with water. Firstly because Ltd. (NERIL) I was in the Navy for twenty four years starting in my teens. Then because as MEDC Vice Presidents a captain of Coast Guard Ship Vajra, • Cdr. Anil Save - Mg. Director I was the commander of the largest Atra Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. operation to control an oil slick in • Mrs. Meenal Mohadikar - CEO Bombay High North in May Anand Trade Development 1993, when over 80,000 tons Service of crude had spilled threatening the west coast and its • Mr. Ravi Boratkar -Jt. Mg. Director marine life. The days in the Navy and coast guard taught me to MM Activ Sci-Tech be one with the nature and about the treasure of our coastal Coomunications and deep sea marine life that needs to be protected. MEDC Immediate Past-Presidents : • Dr. Vithal V. Kamat - Chairman For the last twenty two years, I have been working as a The Kamat Group of Hotels coordinator for environmental impact assessments of large • Mr. Nandkishor Kagliwal - Chairman water resource projects, and planning for restoration of rivers Nath Group and lakes and onmany catchment area’s conservation plans of Special Invitee : mammoth rivers like Satluj and Beas. This interest and vocation • Mr. Chandrakant Sadadekar- led me to learn many aspects of water, nature and humans. Chairman Most notably among these learning experiences was the Sadadekar Global Group interaction with Dr. C . D. Thatte, the then Secretary General • Mr. Anil Gachke - Chairman of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage MEDC Industries Committee (ICID), during the ‘India China, Policy Support Program’ for three consecutive years from 2003 to 2005. I was presenting Printed, published & edited by Ms. Ananya Prem Nath of behalf of my papers on “Reversing the Impacts of Urban Pollution for Maharashtra Economic Development Restoration of Rivers”. Council (MEDC), Printed Shree Ganesh Graphics, A2/51, Saha & Nahar Dr. Thatte talked about “Water for People,Water for Food and Industrial Estate, Lower Parel, . This coinage of expression and thought Mumbai - 400 013. And published from Water for Nature” Maharashtra Economic Development has stayed with me and has provided a balanced solution to Council, Y. B. Chavan Centre, complex situations that arise while making Environmental 3rd Floor, Gen. J. Bhosale Marg, Management Plans. Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021. While bringing out this special publication, we were inspired tochoose these three heads to call for papers to make this special publication more focused and meaningful. Many knowledgeable writers sent their articles. We then added more sections “Water in MMR, Water and Technology, Water Pollution and Water Conservation.” Regrettably all the papers that we received cannot be published for lack of space. We have published 43 papers that will go on to make this special issue extremely informative. I am thankful to the Maharashtra Economic Development Council, Monthly Economic Digest July 2017 5 editorial committee for all the efforts that they took to read through and chose the papers that were received. I deeply appreciate the efforts of our staff – Sonali, Ananya, Sonam, Pooja, Swanandand our printers; who burnt the midnight oil to be able to publish this book on a time line that was advanced by seven days. In the last two decades or so, the subject of water has attracted public attention for all the wrong reasons. Famine, suicides, water tribunal awards, building dams and being left with no money for the canals and distribution systems, scams, scandals, corruption, inquiries, inability to recover costs, and agitations Some have chosen the subject of water for judicial activism to jump the band wagon of fast track to fame. It is indeed heartening to note that the watershed management in Maharashtra received a shot in the arm in the form of ‘Jala Yukta Shivar’ midcourse corrections that may be necessary. Much is talked about global warming, climate change and so on. These are large global subjects. We decided to start with the factors that are within our control. Some of them that are based on urban / human responsible action plan can be listed as: Reduction of consumptive use at individual and social level by metering usage; recycling at an affordable cost; saving good fresh water bodies from pollution so that they are available for use; ensuring ground water recharge by rain water harvesting. Minimizing urban surface water run off caused by end to end concrete / asphalt roads and parking grounds in all the commercial / housing complexes and so on. On a larger scale, we as a state and nation have to learn to do our watershed management to improving the soil moisture regime. other endemic plants thereafter with a provision for watch and do a special drive for the mapping and treatment of our natural drainage lines and water bodies. This will have to be based on engineering, bio-engineering, forestry and above all indigenous knowledge prevalent in of each agro-economic/ agro climatic zone. Forestry plans and designs; suitable for each location’s soil and climate and many more down to earth non chemical non plastic noninvasive methods used by us for centuries have 6 July 2017 Maharashtra Economic Development Council, Monthly Economic Digest to be socially revived, documented, exerted, implemented and monitored using best of information technology tools. What we do not need is Bureaucratic process thwarting every step, overseas expertise, and self-proclaimed saviors of the planet claiming to be experts and playing to the gallery,(many NGO’s have made this their source of more butter than bread). ‘Namami Ganga’ is a great thought and mission, but the success of this initiative depends on whole hearted participation by the Or else it is doomed to fail like many well intended schemes that never reached its fruition for lack of involved execution. We need this mission to be taken up by all and for every river in the states, cities, districts and villages. We need local level missionary zeal to undertake ‘Namami Godavari, Krishna, Tapi, Narmada, Bhima so on and on to Namami Mithi Namami Mula-Mutha i.e. every small and large waterbody in our surrounding. We need a young, energetic, ready to learn team in every revenue division of the state and the nation. Capable of absorbing indigenous know how, of good command on GIS, who will be guided by a very few experienced heads and hands to plan the lay out and the action plan for each geographic expanse. We then need to exert these plans using schemes such as MNREGA. We need to monitor progress using IT, create mid-course corrections in real time (not by appointing high in our state; within a span of just five years by changing the micro and macro climatic conditions. And yes! We as a nation need to complete our plan for inter-linking of rivers to share water between surplus and in the next twenty years or so.